Toyota will start leasing 150 of its Prius plug-in hybrids in the U.S. this winter, part of 600 being deployed worldwide. They are the forerunners to planned retail sales of tens of thousands in two years, Automotive News reports.
Like General Motors' Chevrolet Volt, the Prius will have a gas engine backing up its electric powerplant. But the Volt will have the advantage:
The plug-in Prius will be able to roll 14.5 miles before the gas engine is needed while Volt should be able to go 40 miles on juice.
The Volt also uses a lithium-ion battery pack to power an electric motor for about 40 miles. After that a small gasoline engine recharges the battery but never runs the car.
Toyota is currently running a national print ad promoting the company’s future eco-friendly technologies. As you would expect, it pictures a Toyota Prius glistening by a tree-lined lake, and brags about the fuel and CO2 saved by hybrid technology. The ad copy says that Toyota’s current hybrids are “paving the way for the next generation of environmental vehicles.” And then these five words: “Like cars charged at home.”
Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the leases will be followed by retail sales. "We will see what happens in the field," Uchiyamada is quoted by Automotive News as saying. "We may have to adjust the number of batteries carried on board."
No pricing or details on availability yet.
The plug-in Prius will look nearly the same as the third-generation Prius launched earlier this year, with the same electric motor and 1.8-liter gasoline engine. The big difference will be the addition of lithium-ion batteries, not the nickel-metal hydride batteries that have always been at the heart of a Prius.
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